Best Social Media Management Tools for Food Businesses in 2025

Having a delicious menu isn’t enough to run a successful food business. Whether you own a restaurant, café, food truck, or organic store, how you present your brand online especially on social media matters just as much as your food quality and customer service.

Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook have become essential marketing tools for food businesses. But consistently creating content, engaging with followers, and managing multiple platforms can become overwhelming. That’s where social media management tools come in.

In this guide, we’ll review the top social media management tools for food businesses in 2025, explain their standout features, pricing, and best use cases, and help you choose the right one based on your business type and size.

Why Food Businesses Need Social Media Tools

Food is one of the most consumed types of content online. People are constantly searching for new places to eat, unique experiences, and food inspiration. Here's why you need social media tools to keep up:

• Save Time: Schedule posts in advance and free up your time for customers.

• Boost Visibility: Get discovered through trending content, Reels, and hashtags.

• Stay Consistent: Keep your brand active even when you're busy running the kitchen.

• Analyze What Works: Learn what posts get the most engagement and adjust your strategy.

• Automate Campaigns: Run seasonal offers, loyalty programs, or order reminders without manual work.

Top Social Media Management Tools for Food Businesses (2025)

Below are the best tools for different types of food businesses, from small cafes to restaurant chains.

1. Exterly

Best for: Food businesses needing done-for-you content & automation

Exterly is a social media and automation service tailored to small and medium-sized food businesses. Unlike DIY platforms, Exterly offers a done-for-you solution that blends automation with real human strategy.

Why it works for food businesses:

• Exterly creates branded content based on your menu, location, audience, and seasonality.

• It automates responses, promotional messages, and feedback follow-ups.

• Designed for restaurants, cafes, food trucks, and organic stores.

Top Features:

• Automated posting to Instagram, Facebook, and Google

• Seasonal promotions (e.g., Mother’s Day brunch, Christmas offers)

• Weekly content calendars

• Client retention workflows

• Booking integrations for dine-in and takeout

Pricing: Custom packages
Website: Exterly.io

2. Later

Best for: Instagram & TikTok visuals

Later is known for its intuitive drag-and-drop planner that helps food brands create beautiful, scroll-stopping content. It’s ideal for restaurants and cafes that rely on eye-catching visuals to attract foodies.

Top Features:

• Grid planner for Instagram

• Reels and TikTok post scheduler

• Hashtag and caption suggestions

• Linkin.bio for clickable menus or online ordering

Pricing: Free plan available; Paid plans start at $18/month

3. Go High Level (GHL)

Best for: Restaurants and stores needing automation + CRM

Go High Level is more than just a social media tool—it’s a complete marketing automation and CRM system. Perfect for food businesses running ads, newsletters, loyalty campaigns, and reservations.

Top Features:

• Post scheduling across platforms

• SMS/email marketing for promotions

• Customer database with loyalty tracking

• Google Review booster

• Funnels and landing pages for online ordering

Pricing: Starts at $97/month

4. Planoly

Best for: Cafés & bakeries focused on branding

If you want your social feed to look clean, aesthetic, and cohesive, Planoly is for you. It’s especially great for bakeries, boutique cafés, or organic shops that want to highlight product packaging, ambiance, and colors.

Top Features:

• Grid layout planner

• Story scheduler

• Canva integration

• Drafts and reusable templates

Pricing: Free plan available; Paid plans start at $13/month

5. Buffer

Best for: Simple multi-platform scheduling

Buffer is a classic, easy-to-use platform that works well for food businesses that just need to stay active and consistent online.

Top Features:

• Schedule posts across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn

• AI assistant for captions

• Basic performance analytics

• Post recycling

Pricing: Free for 3 social channels; Paid from $6/month per channel

6. Hootsuite

Best for: Multi-location restaurants or franchises

Hootsuite is ideal for food businesses managing multiple branches or teams. It allows team collaboration and offers advanced analytics that can help restaurant groups coordinate campaigns.

Top Features:

• Schedule bulk content

• Assign posts to staff members

• Track engagement and respond in one dashboard

• Ad management and reporting tools

Pricing: Free trial available; Paid plans start at $99/month

7. Meta Business Suite

Best for: New food businesses using Facebook/Instagram

If you’re just starting out and primarily using Facebook or Instagram, Meta Business Suite is a great free tool that covers the basics.

Top Features:

• Unified content calendar

• Basic insights and post boosting

• Inbox for DMs and comments

• Ad scheduling and reporting

Pricing: Free

Comparison Table

Tips for Choosing the Right Tool

Choose based on your:

• Business Size: Small food trucks may prefer Buffer; franchises may need Hootsuite.

• Marketing Goals: Want branding help? Use Planoly or Exterly. Want automation? Go High Level.

• Budget: Start with free tools like Meta Suite or Buffer and scale later.

• Time Commitment: Don’t have time to DIY? Use a done-for-you service like Exterly.

Conclusion

Social media can be the secret ingredient to growing your food business in 2025. With the right tool, you can attract new customers, promote offers, and stay engaged with your community without spending hours online every day.

If you’re looking for a full-service, stress-free solution designed specifically for food businesses, Exterly offers everything from content creation to automation and retargeting.

• Whether you’re a cozy café, booming food truck, or local organic market pick a tool that fits your flavor and let your brand shine online.